Across the nation.

Forest Service Logging Loses Millions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Forest Service spent $234 million more than it made logging U.S. national forests in 1995, the White House Council of Economic Advisers says in its annual report.

The Forest Service had reported earlier this year that its commercial logging operations turned a $59 million profit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1995.

But the White House concluded that, in the same period, the service collected $616 million in timber receipts but spent more than $850 million on timber management, reforestation, logging roads, payments to states and other costs.

"Generally, U.S. Forest Service subsidizes timber extraction from public lands by collecting less in timber sale revenues than it spends on timber program costs," said the White House report.